Italian kidnapper, killers of area commander arrested in Delta

Also nabbed by the police around Warri was a deadly kidnapping syndicate involving Lucky Unumeri and Charles Ighumaye, who attacked and murdered the Area Commander, Ughelli, ACP Ndababa Usman, and the late DSP German Emmanuel.

• Police kill six suspected kidnappers

Delta State Police Command yesterday paraded a notorious kidnapper, one Mr. Femando Blessing, an Italian national, who belongs to a kidnapping syndicate terrorizing Ozoro in Isoko North Local Council of the state and its environs.

Parading the suspect alongside other criminals with various offenses in Asaba yesterday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, explained that Fernando was arrested when he came to collect ransom of additional sum of N50,000 from the victim’s relatives having earlier collected the sum of N250,000.

Also nabbed by the police around Warri was a deadly kidnapping syndicate involving Lucky Unumeri and Charles Ighumaye, who attacked and murdered the Area Commander, Ughelli, ACP Ndababa Usman, and the late DSP German Emmanuel.

According to him, “suspects belonging to a deadly kidnapping syndicate headed by one Lucky Unumeri, aka “FESBO” and one Charles Ighumaye, aka “AWILO”, responsible for most kidnaps within Warri/Ughelli/Agbarho/Eku/Sapele axis and its environ, including the attack and murder of Area Commander Ughelli ACP Ndababa Usman and late Dsp German Emmanuel, were arrested. Efforts are on to arrest other fleeing gang members as case will be charged to court soon.”

In another development, six suspected kidnappers responsible for several kidnapping incidents in Oleh, Isoko South Local Council and neighbouring communities of Delta State, were yesterday trailed to their hideout and killed by detectives attached to Oleh divisional police.

A source (names withheld) disclosed that the hoodlums met their Waterloo after they abducted their last victim in his residence around Evoja primary school, Oleh, as he was about entering his car.

The police swung into action after the victim’s wife reported the incident, including the $1 million ransom being demanded by the kidnappers.Luck ran out on the suspects as one of them was caught in his bid to pick up the ‘arranged’ ransom from the victim’s wife. Thereafter, the other five members of the gang were tracked down to their hideout.

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state command, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the incident, noted that the police ran into the kidnappers’ hideout, an uncompleted building in a bush in Emede community during the cause of their mission to rescue a victim, adding that they were killed in a gun duel with the police.